Wide Urban Spaces

It’s an icon of France. Almost anyone in the world knows that the Eiffel Tower is a landmark in Paris.

It was erected on Champs de Mars beside the Seine River between 1887 and 1889, designed by architect Gustave Eiffel. In the summer 2008, the Eiffel Tower became adorned with a symbol of the European Union, EU.

After France took over the presidency of EU in the second half of 2008, twelve yellow stars - as in the EU flag - were mounted on the north-west side of the tower between the first and the second level.

Typical for the French, some might say, but it’s hard to deny that the 1,063 ft (324 meter) iron structure is indeed the most famous landmark in Europe.

Perhaps one day the Eiffel Towel will be the symbol of Europe equal to what the Statue of Liberty is to USA. You gotta admit, it does fit the tower beautifully.

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In October 2008, Copenhagen was named the Cycle City of the Year 2008 by the Danish Cyclists Federation; for a good reason.

Every day, one third of the 1.7m citizens in Copenhagen ride 715,000 miles (1.15m km) on the 242 miles (389 km) bikeways, lanes and the so-called green routes.

Riding a bike is a necessity in Copenhagen. During the rush hour the traffic is so dense that you easily overtake cars and buses. You get around much faster on two wheels than behind one.

Copenhageners have their own bikes. Tourists can either rent one or use one of the 2,000 free city bikes for a deposit of DKK 20.

The city is literally filled with bikes. Especially around the train stations bicycles fill the racks, and when the city runs out of racks, the bikes take up walls and sidewalks.

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